Vitamin supplements show no health benefits, study reveals
Their advertisement drives commerce. There is almost no commercial break on the radio or television without a spot encouraging us to purchase one tablet or another. However, it turns out that some of these promises are unfulfilled, and the pills do not support health or help us live longer.
We have developed a fondness for dietary supplements. Instead of looking for individual vitamins in food, we prefer the quick method of tablets. We often reach for multivitamins containing a complete set of minerals.
Although a complete set of vitamins, often supplementing our daily needs, sounds tempting, in practice it does not protect us from diseases, nor does it help in extending life.
American scientists conducted research among 390,000 adults living in various parts of the USA. The National Cancer Institute monitored their behaviour for as long as 20 years to check if there is a connection between regular supplement intake and life expectancy.
They examined supplements. Vitamin tablets worse than placebo
The research did not show that taking multivitamins affected health or extended life. It also did not explain differences in death rates caused by cancers. However, overall, multivitamins were found to increase mortality by 4 percent.
The study's authors emphasize that they still need to examine diverse populations, such as people with deficiencies in essential nutrients or the elderly.
Experts emphasize that supplementation will never replace a healthy, balanced diet. And if we want to take supplements, blood tests must be conducted first to identify which specific vitamins we are missing.
